Tragic Clothing Factory Fire in Bangladesh Has Taken a Minimum of 16 Lives
A minimum of 16 persons have lost their lives after a huge fire broke out at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, with authorities stating that the death toll could rise.
Sixteen bodies have been found but were burned impossible to identify, the firefighters said.
Heartbroken relatives converged outside the four-storey factory in the Mirpur district of Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their family members still missing.
The blaze, which broke out at the factory around noon, was extinguished after multiple hours. But an adjacent chemical warehouse kept burning, emergency services reported.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) that day, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, media reports reported.
Fire service officials have not established which of the two buildings ignited initially.
Based on witnesses, the chemical warehouse housed industrial bleaches, synthetic polymers and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Synthetic materials also produces hazardous smoke when burned.
Police and military officers are still searching for the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed the media.
An probe on whether the warehouse was functioning with proper authorization is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Crying family members gathered outside the fire-damaged buildings, many of them grasping photographs of their missing relatives.
Present at the scene is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his family member.
"When I learned of the fire, I rushed here. But I still haven't found her... I just want my daughter back," he told news media.
The tragic incident has another time emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's garment industry, which employs millions of workers and is a significant contributor to economic income for the nation.
